Opinion: Network helps mentally-ill teens

Michael Wilson (left) is a former Canadian finance minister and ambassador to the U.S. He is vice-chairman of the CIHR. Tony Boeckh is chairman of the Graham Boeckh Foundation.
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The Graham Boeckh Foundation and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) will provide $25 million in funding for the creation of a patient-oriented network in adolescent and youth mental health.PNG file photo
/ iStockphoto

MONTREAL — We were friends and classmates many decades ago. What has drawn us together once more is that our families have both been touched by mental illness. And in both cases, the outcome of that mental illness has been and continues to be tragic and devastating.

Graham Boeckh suffered from schizophrenia and in the end passed away at the age of 22 due to a chemical interaction with the drugs he was taking; Cameron Wilson was severely depressed and took his life at the age of 29.

Although our body of knowledge and treatments have evolved and improved dramatically since the passing of our children, there is still much that needs to be done.

If their suffering and premature departures from this world are to have meaning, then the tragedies of their lives must be the impetus for us personally, and for the research/medical community and patient communities, to make things better.

All too often, research is not making its way from the laboratory or the hospital or the university to the front lines of health care. Frequently, researchers, health-care practitioners and patients do not have the means to share experiences, novel treatments and innovative strategies to bridge the gap between research and practice, to share best practices and provide feedback that allows all involved to set new goals and achieve better outcomes.

That is why the recent announcement by the Graham Boeckh Foundation and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to provide $25 million in funding for the creation of a patient-oriented network in adolescent and youth mental health is so important. It has the potential of making a real difference and improving mental-health outcomes for young people in Canada within five years. We are aiming for nothing short of transformational change.

What we mean by transformational research is the identification of the changes necessary at the system level to improve outcomes for young people with depression, bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia and other conditions that usually strike first in the teenage years. Ultimately, our goal is to demonstrably improve health outcomes and enhance patients’ health-care experience through integration of evidence at all levels in the health-care system and by translating innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to better treatment at the point of care.

Seventy per cent of mental-health problems and illnesses begin in childhood and adolescence. Young people are more likely to report mental-health disorders than any other age group. Early intervention is the key to improving their quality of life and allowing them, where possible, to function as productive and happy adults. It also reduces the tragic toll that mental illness can have on the patient’s family and friends, not to mention reducing the burden and cost of what is often a chronic disease on our health-care and social-service system.

The evidence indicates that, just like with so many other health challenges, early intervention is the key to improving the quality of life of young people and their families and friends. Early intervention reduces the prevalence and severity of mental health problems in later years, enabling sufferers to lead healthy and productive lives.

In Canada, most teenagers suffering from mental illness either get inadequate care or no care at all. This has got to change. That is why we are challenging Canada’s mental-health researchers, patients and their families, mental-health-care institutions and provincial governments. We must all work together to make lasting change for Canadian teenagers who are suffering from mental illness.

If you are a researcher or practitioner in mental health, get involved and get your network involved. If you or a member of your family have been touched by mental illness, tell your doctor or nurse about us. Together we can come together in making a difference in the lives of tens of thousands of Canadians every year. When we know we can do better, doing better is not an option. It is an obligation.

Michael Wilson is a former Canadian finance minister and is vice-chairman of the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, and Tony Boeckh is chairman of the Graham Boeckh Foundation.

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